musiK - more JaZz

 J'adore Smoothe JaZz 

Spyro Gyra

i love listening to their music. brings you back to good old happy times and reminds you that life is good!
perfect easy listening music to play on the background when you just want to relax.

Spyro Gyra is an American jazz fusion band originally formed in the mid-1970s in Buffalo, New York, USA. With over 25 albums released and 10 million copies sold, they are among the most prolific as well as commercially successful groups of the scene. Among their most successful hit singles are "Shaker Song" and "Morning Dance", which received significant play on popular music radio stations, and are still frequently heard nearly 30 years later on jazz and easy listening.

musiK - i love ClassiK JaZz!

On my playlist today - Dave Brubeck 

Morning Prayer

Today is my Lola Margarita Carbonell's death anniversary. She went home to our  Father in heaven 9 years ago. To remember this day, we lighted candles and said our prayers this morningat the Poor Clare Monastery. 

On the way to the chapel we saw these lovely flowers. It reminded us how marvelous are God's creations and how privileged we are to be given this life to enjoy it!

Thank You Lord for the gift of Life.

raw photos taken from my bbphone

popKorns - The Screen on Baker St.

I miss the little cinema near where I used to live in London. I watched many of my favorite films there that I missed or can't watch with R during the weekends. What I love about this cinema is that it is a cosy- intimate small cinema that once the lights are dimmed its as if you are just watching a film from your own living room making it a very unique cinema experience. Also they show a good range of art-house, foreign (language) and short release films (that they don't show at big cinemas) as well as the known blockbuster films.

. 

My friend, Maud, introduced me to this place which is indeed a real hidden gem of a cinema in the heart of Baker St. Mondays became our cinema date as its cheap night cinema too! Whereas you pay the full price of £8.50 on a regular day, you only pay £6 on Mondays and you get to see the same film that was on that week. 

We usually buy tickets for the last full show in the evening, grab a bag of Haribo and Malteasers and were set for the nights' flicks.

Oh, how I miss the old days spent in London town... =(

Inside the Screen on Baker St./ Everyman Cinema 

shoebox of photographs - London with Tati

Fall 2004

with my good friend Tatiana

Westminster Bridge

across the Big Ben

on the Millenium Bridge

Tate Modern End

Green Park

 entrance from Buckingham Palace

Buckingham Palace

with Marciana

popKorns - You've got Mail

I stayed up late last night watching this film on 2ndavenue. It has been a while since I last watch this film (for the nth time too) LoL! I just love this film. It's funny and very classy romantic, feel good movie. I love the soundtrack and the happy ending too!

Things I L❤ve : Mondays!

I love Mondays.

A lot of people hate Mondays as it means the end of the weekend and its a start of another work week for them. However it was the opposite to us ( me and my sister Jools), Mondays are the start of our weekend if not Tuesday. It's usually our day off from work (baking/cake decorating) @ Little Cake Designs. Normal weekends are our busiest. 

Today though we got a rush order from a regular client who just confirmed her cake order last night and we really find it hard to turn down. It was only a small cake so we both worked on it together this morning and had the afternoon off!

I got a list of things I love to do on my days off 

such as shopping/window shopping (although living in KC doesn't allow me to do/go shopping since there are no proper malls or even good boutiques here so I screen shop (online window shopping! Lol!)) , blogging (I've yet to write about my March holiday with R, agh! but today I'm not in the mood) , spend hours on forgotten hobbies like reading ( but I don't have a new book to read) , tidying my room(...yes i love to tidy my room albeit rather slowly...i make progress on every day off! LoL! :-p 

 Oh! and there are other things I love today @ random...sipping a cup of my favorite brown coffee on a rainy afternoon = coffee bliss!, got visited by a cake client to send her thank you personally = heartening!, rediscovered dresses from my closet that needs air time soon = excited!, trying on outfits to pack for my upcoming MLA trip = fun!, gone through every page of Wilton 2011 yearbook leisurely = inspired!, sneak into town just for the sake of going out on our day off-a mini adventure with my sis (we usually get surprised on what we discover around about KC) = pleasant surprises!, exchanging bbms with R and bessie Yen = happiness! the rest of Buttered Pecan Obsession ice cream = foodgasm!

I can't wait for Tuesday! LoL!

pagKain - Double Pasta Day!

While we were at the grocery at KMCC supermarket yesterday, I was surprised to find one of the staple ingredients I have to go to DC (Davao City) to get one before - Magnolia Quickmelt cheese! Yay!!! Finally, we can have our melty cheesy pasta bakes anytime we want or until stock last... heheh!  But I do hope they will keep their shelf restocked often. LOL!

So, obviously, Today's Lunch Menu: Penne Bolognese with melty cheese sauce topping!

Yuuuummmmyyyy!!!!

And just before we had our lunch, we received a special delivery from a friend who lives next town (Makilala) - lo and behold its Spaghetti Bolognese a la Balot!  Another yum!  Ate Janet (our kitchen assistant) was very pleased...she was waiting for it since last sunday! Hehehe XD 

P.S. Thank you mucho Marehng Balot...'twas very thoughtful of you....you Doubled our Pasta Treat Today!

pagKain - Pato loco (Duck crazy!)

I am the only one in my family who like duck that's why we don't get to eat it here in KC often. But R and I share our favorite duck dish which is the Crispy Aromatic Duck - Crispy Peking duck eaten with pancake, spring onions, cucumber and hoisin sauce. Yummnnn...thinking about it made me salivate for it! LOL! We use to order a small portion (1/4 duck) as appetizer or (1/2 duck) a meal on its own everytime we go to Chinese restaurants especially the ones in London (Royal China, Emperial China and Golden Dragon in Chinatown does very good crispy aromatic duck) Apparently this dish has been created by the Chinese community in UK.

Crispy Aromatic Duck

The last time I had duck was when I prepared a duck dish - Magret de Canard Sauce Bigarade - at Culinary school in 2008. The other day, we went to Grilleto's Fastfood and Restogrill and since duck is the specialty of the house, this and being a grill house too serving grilled boneless chicken and seafoods, we ordered their Sweet and Spicy Pato (Duck) which according to the waitress was most popular. My Nanay and Tatay are not a big fan of duck meat so we only settled for one dish. They also have Adoboloco Pato, Patotin, Kalderetang Pato and Pato Sisig. 

About the dish, what can I say...its sweet with pineapple bits, its spicy with a dozen of birds eye chilies sprinkled on the dish - in fact too spicy that we were not able to appreciate the duck meat because the chili had stung our tongues with the first bite already. I also have only eaten duck breasts and thighs before so getting a portion with duck wings and parts I couldn't recognize and on the bone, I was quite disappointed and one thing for sure... I love chicken more and I'll stick to the duck dishes I know and Foie Gras! LOL! =)

As for their slogan: Try me, Im Delicious... I am worth waiting for... 

Well, We tried and it didn't quite met my expectation but having paid only P127 for the Sweet and Spicy Pato, I can't complain anymore. It was fair enough price paid considering that duck meat is quiet pricey in the market.

Happy Mother's Day, Nanay

Ko

sKinny Moo- sKinny Me!

sKinny Moo- avoKado!

Foods You Didn't Know Could Help You Lose Weight...(part2)

Avocado

Why do we remove the avocado from our salads when its high levels of monounsaturated fats, potassium, vitamin E and B and fibre keeps us feeling fuller for longer and boost our beauty at the same time? It all boils down to the misunderstanding of one word: fat. In this case, the  fat in avocados is the type of fat that helps build cells and reduce cholesterol, not the type of fat - saturated fat - that clogs arteries and causes cellulites!

So, I'm having avocado shake for lunch!

Yum!

=)

sKinny Moo- Ice Kreme!

Food you didn't know could help you lose weight... (part1)


Think cheese is the route of all weight gain and potatoes will make you fat? Think again. It may surprise you to learn that many of the foods we wrongly perceive as diet DON'Ts may actually help you to lose weight. So deprive yourself no longer! Instead, try incorporating these foods into your meals as part of a calorie-controlled diet and see if they make a difference. And give regular exercise a go, too.

1) Ice Cream

Time to get excited - it IS possible to eat ice cream and lose weight. Calcium-rich foods like ice cream are thought to reduce fat-producing enzymes and increase fat breakdown in the body, as well as keeping you feeling fuller. But before you make a mad dash for the Ben & Jerry's, you should be warned that most ice cream is extremely high in fats and sugars. Try to go for a sugar free, low fat option like FROZEN YOGURT!

Yes, I scream FROYO! 

=)

article from Glamour Magazine UK 

Early Bday Treat!

Hair Color + Highlights + Hair Spa = Hair Bliss!

Thanks Mitch of GVS

(Gloria Villarico Salon)

KMCC Mall, KC

sKinny Moo- Cravings!

How often do you have cravings? By cravings I meant when you feel like eating something and you want it immediately. Like now! If not you'll go kooky... and if you give in to it you tend to overeat whatever it is that you crave for and usually they are unhealthy stuff... like junk foods! Hmmnnn...

I was craving for Froyo (frozen yogurt) today unfortunately there's none available here in KC (Kidapawan City) so Jools and I treated ourselves for some pasta and burger at Boyds for lunch ( no rice diet! Ha! We split the portions between us though.) XD

Back to cravings...Are our urge to eat unhealthy food purely down to greed? Harsh!

R sent me this article today and I find it quite interesting!

Here's part of it...and if you want to read the full article click the link below.

WHAT YOUR CRAVINGS ARE TRYING TO TELL YOU...

CHOCOLATE AND SWEETS

'Cravings for these are usually down to a psychological desire for a food that makes you feel better and gives a short-term ''fix''. Dark chocolate contains magnesium, antioxidants and iron  -  so there is unquestionably some nutritional benefit,' says nutritionist Zoe Harcombe. 

PIZZA, PASTA, CRIPS

'It may be an example of wheat intolerance in the case of pizza and pasta  -  ironically if we're intolerant of things we crave them,' suggests Harcombe.

'One theory is that if we don't digest or absorb foods properly, we desire them more as the body isn't getting what it needs from the food. For instance, diabetics can't regulate their blood sugar, leading to low energy levels. But if the condition is uncontrolled they crave sugary foods, as the body believes it isn't getting enough.' 

FISH

Should you crave salmon, it could be a need for Omega3 fats.

'Some new evidence suggests that taste receptors respond to certain fatty acids,' says Dr Gibson. 

'Maybe our system is aware of their presence. Tuna could be a need for salt  -  especially in a low-fat dieter who eats lots of fruit and vegetables but little meat or fish and is getting little sodium,' says Harcombe. 

'Dieters are eating more potassium by consuming large amounts of fruit and vegetables, so they need to balance it out with more sodium.' 

DAIRY

'Milk contains key nutrients, and if you crave cheese, you may need the fatsoluble Vitamins A and D, especially if you have a lowfat diet,' says Harcombe. 

MEAT

It seems obvious  -  but some experts believe a meat craving means the body needs protein. Dr Gibson says: 'A desire to eat red meat could be attributed to iron deficiency  -  especially in pregnant women.' 

Click Full Article Here 

Simple Intro

I created this blog as my live journal to share my blessings, simple pleasures, kookiness and other musings about what is happening around me and my simple life with a dose of K(kookiness) in general. I don't expect that it will get read, its purely to keep an account for myself to remind me of all the graces I receive everyday, and if it does get read, the pleasure is mine that I've shared something of same interest to the reader and I hope that it enriched your life in a kooky way or another as it has enriched mine. I believe we all need a little kookiness in our life. Kookiness means Being-Yourself-ness!

eKleKtiK chiK x